"Roar!"
Water erupted into the air, not just assailing the black-clad ninjas but swiftly converging overhead to sculpt a massive and fierce water dragon. With a resounding roar, it plummeted, engulfing them entirely and thundering down onto the terrain.
"Hmm... what a formidable Ninjutsu."
Observing the awe-inspiring and formidable Water Release Ninjutsu, along with the bodies cascading from the heavens to the earth, Kakashi and two fellow Konoha ANBU ninjas couldn't help but widen their eyes.
"Is this the strength of Scarlet Yu?"
Even Kakashi, armed with his Sharingan, found it arduous to decipher Yu's dazzling and incredibly potent Ninjutsu.
In this moment, Kakashi keenly sensed the formidable aura emanating from Yu, a presence no less imposing than what he had faced with Orochimaru before.
"Kakashi!"
"It seems you've betrayed us!"
A comrade, swiftly dispatched by Yu in a single confrontation, left only six black-clad ninjas standing. They touched down on the ground, unsheathed their weapons, and eyed Kakashi and his group warily.
"Assassinating Hokage-sama is an unforgivable crime."
"From the beginning, I never intended to stand on your side."
Facing the six black-clad ninjas dispatched by Danzo to assassinate the Hiruzen, Kakashi's expression remained stoic as he spoke in a resonant voice.
"So it's true..."
"Is that old man Danzo out of his mind?"
Hearing the exchange between Kakashi and the black-clad ninjas before him, Yu couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Even though Danzo had deployed more than double the number of ninjas than depicted in the anime, Yu found it difficult to believe that the cunning and ruthless Danzo would be so imprudent.
Even if he were absent today, how could these few ninjas possibly succeed in assassinating Hiruzen?
In contrast to the aged Hiruzen depicted in the anime, the Hiruzen during this period was over ten years younger, adept in five types of elemental ninjutsu, once renowned as the 'God of Ninja,' shaking the ninja world. Was that a mere jest?
"I didn't expect Scarlet Yu to be here as well..."
"But no matter what, we must carry out the mission entrusted to us by Danzo-sama!"
Upon discovering that not only had Kakashi betrayed them, but another strong variable emerge in the mix, the six remaining black-clad ninjas exchanged glances, determination for their impending doom surging within them.
"Kill!!"
Sharpened, poisoned weapons swiftly unsheathed, the six ninjas dispersed, charging towards Yu and his group from various angles.
"Do you intend to complete the mission even with the knowledge of certain death..."
"It seems Danzo's brainwashing is more successful than anyone thought..."
Kakashi and his two companions immediately intervened, intercepting three of the ninjas. Observing the other three black-clad ninjas sprinting towards them with all their might, Yu shook his head in resignation, though his hands were ruthless in action.
Finger Point!!
Yu stood still, gently flicking his finger, and the high-speed thrown line instantly pierced through one of the ninjas' bodies. The explosive force created a massive blood hole on his body, and the residual impact not only left him in tatters but also blasted a hole in the ground behind him.
"Kill him first!!"
Witnessing Yu's ruthless and fierce attack, the other two black-clad ninjas clenched their teeth. In an instant, their figures appeared above Yu and the Third, wielding sharp blades as they swiftly descended!
Clang!!
However, a supremely white blade light seemed to cut through the entire sky. In mid-air, the unbelievably widened eyes of the two black-clad ninjas witnessed their sharp blades, along with their bodies, instantly being split in half!
Thud!!
As the scent of blood pervaded the air, Yu slowly retracted the palm he used to unleash the Blade of Flowing Water, which had cleanly sliced the two black-clad ninjas along with their weapons into two halves. Their bisected bodies fell to the ground.
!
Even without summoning the Devil Puppets, relying solely on his Thread Fruit ability, which had reached the level of a Warlord of the Sea, combined with his superlative Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu skills, Yu had already attained the strength of a true Kage-level powerhouse!
"Is this not a bit too ruthless?"
Seeing Yu beside him swiftly eliminate three black-clad ninjas with lightning speed, although the Hiruzen marveled at Yu's current strength, the scent of blood in the air made him involuntarily frown.
"Kindness alone cannot safeguard justice..."
Observing the Hiruzen, who was known for his compassionate nature, expressing disapproval of his own ruthless actions, Yu remained nonchalant. "Sarutobi-sensei, sometimes, kindness to the enemy is cruelty to oneself."
"On the battlefield, it's with this belief that I've survived until now..."
This child...
Upon hearing Yu's nonchalant response, the Third's gaze couldn't help but quiver. Remembering the cruelties Yu had experienced at such a young age, looking at Yu's innocent and youthful face, the expression on the Hiruzen's face softened considerably.
"Wood Release: Great Forest Jutsu!!"
As the battle seemed to be concluding, even Kakashi and his group had dealt with the final three black-clad ninjas on their side. Just at this moment, accompanied by a slightly youthful shout, a masked ninja suddenly leaped down from a nearby tree. Numerous sharp wooden protrusions instantly extended from their arms, striking towards Yu and Hiruzen!
"This is... Wood Release?!"
Suddenly facing this unexpected attack and clearly identifying the Ninjutsu being used by the ninja, Hiruzen, beside Yu, couldn't help but widen his eyes in astonishment.
Wood Release—a Kekkei Genkai once held by the first Hokage, Senju Hashirama, acclaimed as the 'God of Ninjas.' It played a crucial role in subduing the chaos of the Warring States period and even possessed the formidable power to control tailed beasts.
Since Senju Hashirama's passing, Konoha had expended countless resources and efforts, yet no one had been able to inherit this unique power. However, Hiruzen never expected that among the ninjas Danzo sent to assassinate him today, there would be one capable of using Wood Release!
"So it was... Yamato, huh..."
At this moment, Yu, standing beside the Third, quickly grasped the situation. His gaze focused on the petite masked ninja in front of him, and he immediately deduced the individual's identity.
Yamato—during his childhood, he was an experimental subject of Orochimaru's human experiments, infused with Senju Hashirama's cells for cultivation. Due to the lack of sufficient stamina in his young body to endure the power of Hashirama's cells, and the other fifty-nine experimental infants dying successively as a reference. Orochimaru deemed him a failed experiment and abandoned him.
However, Yamato's unwavering will to survive allowed him to endure, and he was fortunately discovered by Shimura Danzo, avoiding the fate of death. After escaping Orochimaru's experiments, he joined Danzo's "Root" organization due to Danzo's influence and became a ninja with the codename "Kinoe"
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